NEW DELHI: Siddharth Garg, a biker, lost his life after his motorcycle collided with a Mahindra XUV coming from the wrong side of the road in Gurugram district. Garg’s body was handed over to his family following a post-mortem.
The visuals of the crash, captured by an action camera mounted on a friend’s bike, quickly spread across social media and sparked a public outcry. The video shows Garg riding at high speed before the SUV suddenly appeared, leading to the fatal impact.
What led to the collision?
According to police, Garg and his friend Pradyuman Kumar (22) left Dwarka early on Sunday morning for a ride on separate bikes. The duo first went to DLF Downtown, following which they planned to meet a group of riders at Ambience Mall. Kumar said Garg had taken all precautions and was wearing a helmet and other safety gear.
Kumar was following him on another motorcycle on Golf Course Road when the accident happened near Belvedere Towers around 5.25am. A Mahindra XUV 300 car, driven by Thakur, suddenly appeared and Garg's bike collided head-on with it, Kumar said. Thakur was driving the car in the wrong direction on the one-way lane, he added.
Released due to political connections, alleges friend
Kumar alleged that Thakur was driving on the wrong side of the road at a high speed, leading to the death of his friend. "The SUV also had a sticker of a BJP candidate. Police didn't accept footage of the accident recorded by my GoPro camera, which I had installed on my helmet as evidence. They soon released Thakur on bail, probably due to his political connections," he alleged.
Police have denied Kumar's claims, saying that the video footage was accepted as evidence and the driver was booked and granted bail in accordance with the law. Based on Kumar's complaint, an FIR was lodged at DLF 2 police station against Thakur under BNS sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving) and 324(4) (causing damage exceeding Rs 20,000), as well as relevant sections of the MV Act. Thakur told the police that he was following Google Maps while returning from Palwal along with another person when the accident happened.
Victim’s family demands justice after bail
In the aftermath, Garg's mother expressed her anguish, questioning the legal proceedings surrounding the accused's release on bail.
"I want justice for my son," she said. "A wrong person killed my son. My only question is, why was he released on bail? My son is no more, but the accused slept peacefully that night. Why are the police not helping us?"
Responding to the mother’s plea, DLF Gurugram ACP Vikas Kaushik assured the family that the police are following legal procedures and invited the victim’s family to meet with the authorities for a transparent update on the investigation.
"If they have doubts related to the investigation, we will make them aware of all the actions we have taken and try to satisfy their worries," Kaushik said.
Accused booked, but granted bail
Thakur, a resident of Ghitorni and co-founder of a PR company, was booked after Akshat's friend, Pradyuman Kumar, lodged an FIR. However, he was later granted bail. A senior police officer said, "Thakur’s medical examination was conducted, and blood samples were collected. He joined the investigation and was granted bail. We take wrong-side driving seriously and have issued over 16,300 challans for the offense in August alone. Action against violators will continue."
Action taken and legal proceedings
An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint filed by Garg's friend, Pradhuman. The accused driver has been arrested in accordance with the law. SHO Kumar said that the victim’s family has not approached the authorities to request any additional charges.
Highlighting their ongoing efforts to curb wrong-side driving, the Gurugram Police in August 2024 alone, more than 16,000 challans were issued for such violations and strict action will continue.
The visuals of the crash, captured by an action camera mounted on a friend’s bike, quickly spread across social media and sparked a public outcry. The video shows Garg riding at high speed before the SUV suddenly appeared, leading to the fatal impact.
What led to the collision?
According to police, Garg and his friend Pradyuman Kumar (22) left Dwarka early on Sunday morning for a ride on separate bikes. The duo first went to DLF Downtown, following which they planned to meet a group of riders at Ambience Mall. Kumar said Garg had taken all precautions and was wearing a helmet and other safety gear.
Kumar was following him on another motorcycle on Golf Course Road when the accident happened near Belvedere Towers around 5.25am. A Mahindra XUV 300 car, driven by Thakur, suddenly appeared and Garg's bike collided head-on with it, Kumar said. Thakur was driving the car in the wrong direction on the one-way lane, he added.
#WATCH | Haryana: A biker dies after a collision with a car driving from the wrong side, in Gurugram
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024
FIR has been registered under relevant sections of BNS and the accused has been arrested as per law. Gurugram Police issued 16,000+ challans for wrong-side driving in August… pic.twitter.com/w040AiYkCK
Released due to political connections, alleges friend
Kumar alleged that Thakur was driving on the wrong side of the road at a high speed, leading to the death of his friend. "The SUV also had a sticker of a BJP candidate. Police didn't accept footage of the accident recorded by my GoPro camera, which I had installed on my helmet as evidence. They soon released Thakur on bail, probably due to his political connections," he alleged.
Police have denied Kumar's claims, saying that the video footage was accepted as evidence and the driver was booked and granted bail in accordance with the law. Based on Kumar's complaint, an FIR was lodged at DLF 2 police station against Thakur under BNS sections 106 (causing death by negligence), 281 (rash driving) and 324(4) (causing damage exceeding Rs 20,000), as well as relevant sections of the MV Act. Thakur told the police that he was following Google Maps while returning from Palwal along with another person when the accident happened.
VIDEO | Visuals of the motorcycle belonging to Akshat Garg, who lost his life in a road accident in Gurugram on September 15, and the SUV that was driving on the wrong side of the road when it hit his motorcycle. The two damaged vehicles are kept in the premises of DLF Phase-II… pic.twitter.com/DcWlZozGil
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 20, 2024
Victim’s family demands justice after bail
In the aftermath, Garg's mother expressed her anguish, questioning the legal proceedings surrounding the accused's release on bail.
"I want justice for my son," she said. "A wrong person killed my son. My only question is, why was he released on bail? My son is no more, but the accused slept peacefully that night. Why are the police not helping us?"
#WATCH | Gurugram: Mother of the biker who died in a collision, says "I want justice for my son. A wrong person killed my son. My only question is why was he released on bail? My son is no more but he (accused) slept peacefully that night...Why is the police not helping us?..." https://t.co/bCxHyGbu82 pic.twitter.com/FJslZ5TVke
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024
Responding to the mother’s plea, DLF Gurugram ACP Vikas Kaushik assured the family that the police are following legal procedures and invited the victim’s family to meet with the authorities for a transparent update on the investigation.
"If they have doubts related to the investigation, we will make them aware of all the actions we have taken and try to satisfy their worries," Kaushik said.
Accused booked, but granted bail
Thakur, a resident of Ghitorni and co-founder of a PR company, was booked after Akshat's friend, Pradyuman Kumar, lodged an FIR. However, he was later granted bail. A senior police officer said, "Thakur’s medical examination was conducted, and blood samples were collected. He joined the investigation and was granted bail. We take wrong-side driving seriously and have issued over 16,300 challans for the offense in August alone. Action against violators will continue."
Action taken and legal proceedings
An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint filed by Garg's friend, Pradhuman. The accused driver has been arrested in accordance with the law. SHO Kumar said that the victim’s family has not approached the authorities to request any additional charges.
Highlighting their ongoing efforts to curb wrong-side driving, the Gurugram Police in August 2024 alone, more than 16,000 challans were issued for such violations and strict action will continue.
